SOUND ON SOUND

[Sam Spoons]

My first ever mixer was an MM, it worked fine for my needs at the time but I was not sophisticated enough to tell if it was any good :headbang:

[James Perrett]

The main drawback with my MM desk was that it was very noisy compared to the later mixers I owned and I ended up having to modify it to add inserts on the first couple of channels as well as a 25 way D connector for a multicore. The connectors were all jacks but then that was the standard for non professional use back in the late 70's and early 80's. I still haven't got round to opening it up to make a note of some of the names on the stickers on the channels inside to see if it was one of Ivan's (his company made stuff for both MM and HH).

[Arpangel]

The main drawback with my MM desk was that it was very noisy compared to the later mixers I owned and I ended up having to modify it to add inserts on the first couple of channels as well as a 25 way D connector for a multicore. The connectors were all jacks but then that was the standard for non professional use back in the late 70's and early 80's. I still haven't got round to opening it up to make a note of some of the names on the stickers on the channels inside to see if it was one of Ivan's (his company made stuff for both MM and HH).

If anyone wants to sell their MM desk there's cash waiting.
Yes they were a bit noisy, but the sound was superb, you'd pay a fortune for a sound like that these days, it was worth it just for the EQ, what? 16 channels of great EQ for almost nothing. I bought my MM 16-2 from a guy who'd dropped a bag of cement on it, for £20, I completely rebuilt it, new sockets, and direct outs, I just wish I never sold it.

[Stickman0_3]

I remember, back in the 1980's, watching Top Of The Pops. It was the first time I had seen a synthesizer, it's what got me into music and synths. Back then I wanted the following:-

Sequential Prophet 5
PPG Wave 2.3
PPG PRK
PPG Waveterm B
Emu Emulator II
Fairlight CMI
Yamaha DX7

I wanted all of the above, that would be my dream setup, and it would cost

£ 5245
₤ 7200
₤ 2400
₤ 9000
₤ 5950
₤ 27000
₤ 1449
₤ 52999 Total

I had my list. Now all I needed to do was win on the Coin Pusher game at the seaside!

[Mike Stranks]

OTOH I bought 4 AKG 190Cs in 1974 for £80 plus 12.5% VAT...

[Sam Spoons]

IIRC My first Canon 20D camera body cost me £850 used, the second cost £200, now they struggle to fetch £60-70. But that's just the same as old computer kit I suppose :D

[John Willett]

My first ever mixer was an MM, it worked fine for my needs at the time but I was not sophisticated enough to tell if it was any good :headbang:

And mine - they were good for the price, but were rather noisy - I sold mine and bought an Alice 828.

[Arpangel]

My first ever mixer was an MM, it worked fine for my needs at the time but I was not sophisticated enough to tell if it was any good :headbang:

And mine - they were good for the price, but were rather noisy - I sold mine and bought an Alice 828.

I had a Seck 18-8-2, now that was noisy, add an Alesis Midiverb to that and you've got your very own white noise generator!

[Hugh Robjohns]

Yes, it's easy to forget how far semi-pro equipment has come in just a few decades. Budget gear now often exceeds the performance of revered professional gear from the 60s and 70s...

H

[Eddy Deegan]

Anyone with a time-machine fancy a bargain? I rather like the look of a Fairchild 660 for $200 ... :thumbup:

[Arpangel]

Anyone with a time-machine fancy a bargain? I rather like the look of a Fairchild 660 for $200 ... :thumbup:

Don't go there! Neumann's were also going for silly money, when I sold my VCS3 no one wanted it, it was considered old hat, American polysynths were just coming in, and everyone wanted one of those, including me!
But some gear back then was just bad, it had no redeeming factors in reallity, I dug out an old Alesis Midiverb the other day, expecting to be wowed by it for some reason, but no, it's just very underwhelming.
There are things that are "up and coming" at the moment, I wish I'd never sold my Eventide H3000's, I had three of them, I paid around £500 for each one, now they're going for around a £1,000 plus.
Also 80's digital synths too, they are slowly creeping up, DX7's, Ensoniq, etc.

[CS70]

Oh gee, two pultecs for $325.. someone give me a time machine! Now! :D

[Stickman0_3]

Sorry, my mistake - the Sequential Prophet was £2845.

[blinddrew]

Which is about what I paid in total for the eight guitars in this room... :)

[MOF]

I bought a CS80, complete with all the accessories -- lid, music rack, stand, sustain and expression pedals the whole kaboodle. Paid £1300 for it in 1984. Perfect working order. Sold it ten years later for a couple of grand. Now worth upwards of £25k... :o

I never owned one but I did use one at a recording studio in 1981, fantastic sound.